War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

The novel, War Horse, made me understand more about the way horses contributed in a war and  the       hardships they shared with their caretakers and the solders.


Joey is the name of the famous horse that lived to tell his stories of the war and his return home to his owner, Albert. It’s amazing how many people can have a part in a horse’s life and make changes for an animal that you wouldn’t believe. Joey made and lost friends, horses and people alike. The suffering these horses endured really shows how strong a horse’s will is. Albert was the young owner of Joey who taught him the ways of running a farm. Then out of nowhere Albert’s drunken father sold Joey to the Army and this started the new life of the War Horse.

Yazmine M.

The Pacific by Hugh Ambrose

The Pacific is a book about soldiers fighting in WW2 in the Pacific theater. The Pacific is written by Hugh Ambrose. You can see the TV miniseries based on this book, The Pacific, on HBO. This book follows six main people, Lieutenant Austin C.  “Shifty” Shofner, Ensign Vernon “Mike” Micheel, Sidney C. Phillips, Sergeant “Manila John” Basilone, Eugene B. Sledge and Robert “Lucky” Leckie. This book tells about their experiences during WW2 and all the stories and all the people are real. All six of them are fighting the Japanese but not all of them are in the same unit. Throughout the book it shows how they have to deal with death all the time and how hard it is to get through each day without dying. This book tells about the very first battle against the Japanese to the very last bullet shot in the war. This book mainly focuses on the Marines and the First Marine Division. If you like WW2 and want to find out what happened to these soldiers and are interested in reading a good book, read The Pacific.

Ben T.

Band Of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose

The book, Band of Brothers, is written by Stephen E. Ambrose. The book is based on an HBO mini-series. The book tells a non-fiction story about the 101st Airborne who were the men who parachuted on D-day in WW2. The book follows E Company, a platoon run by Lt. Winters, who is a well respected leader among the men. The author gives you vivid images of what the men saw during the war and how the men bonded together as a family. The book describes how E Company was a key factor in some of the battles that were fought on the European front and the men had to endure hard conditions during the one of the coldest winters in Europe. The author also gives you an idea how the daily life of a soldier was eating the same type of meal three times day and sleeping in a foxhole so you could lower your chances of getting hit by a mortar round. I really enjoyed the book because I like reading about events that happened in history and I like learning about WW2. The book will be a good read for you if you are interested in America’s history of war and like reading non-fiction books.

Austin P.

A Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

Corrie ten Boom’s book, The Hiding Place, is certainly an interesting book. However, it wasn’t the book for me. 

This book is a personal story of why the Holocaust is so horrible and what Corrie had to endure or suffer to be able to live free again. Although I found this book really horrifying, I found there wasn’t enough action. Half the book tells about her family members and I found there were so many of them, I couldn’t keep track of all of them. This story, for me, picks up half way through when you find out Corrie’s family is helping Jewish people escape from the Nazis through an underground tunnel. Corrie’s family then gets caught and they are sent to the concentration camp where only Corrie survives to tell the story. 

I feel like this book would be great if I read it again but, because there are so many characters, I don’t feel I know them personally and that dragged down the book for me. I guess the real reason I didn’t like this book is because I didn’t really understand it. The second half of the book is great and also I have read a lot of other Holocaust books that blew my mind and this didn’t do that for me.

Trevor A.

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

I recently finished reading Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers. The main character in this book is a young man named Robin who enlists in the armed forces after September 11. Robin is part of a Civil Affairs Team in charge of restoring the well-being of Iraq after the war. Throughout the book Robin is forced into some difficult situations. Each one of them teaches him something he wouldn’t have learned back home. 

This book is filled with engaging personal letters and many powerful images. I especially liked the way the author, Walter Dean Myers, writes because, for me, I was able to fluently read from chapter to chapter while challenging myself at the same time. 

I think other students would like this book because they could relate to Robin since he recently graduated high school. Also, students could relate to the events that occurred in this book since we were all alive when these events transpired.

Travis K.

One Bullet Away by Nathaniel Fick

Nathaniel Fick’s book, One Bullet Away, is a great book about the Afghan war. It is a non-fiction book about the war going on in Afghanistan. 


If you have ever seen the series, Generation Kill, it’s similar to the book but it portrays one person in the series, the commander Nathan. In the book, Nathan was going to law school but he did not like it so he dropped out to do something different. One day he went to a local supermarket and there was a recruiter there for the Army and Nathan seemed very interested. The recruiter told him he would be able to join the Officer Cadet School since he had an associate’s degree. He was up for the job and so were his parents. 

He left for OCS and then was astonished when he realized what he had done. When he got there five of the Cadets had dropped out on the first day. He didn't know whether he would pass or even survive. The book does a very good job describing how hard it is to go through OCS. It describes the physical and mental pain you endure going through the program. He eventually passes the program and then the terrorist attack, 9-11, occurs. 

He left for the war and was in charge of a platoon. This book could use a little more detail about the platoon but some is there. The book tells about how war is and what it feels like. Nathan leads his men to victory and then earns a higher rank. You will have to read about what medals and ranks he has achieved. 

If you are interested in war and current events, I suggest this book for you.

Steve D.

Max Brooks' World War Z

Max Brooks' World War Z is a horror, post-apocalyptic book. This book is not a zombie outburst but it is rather about how people experienced the Great Panic. The author interviews different people to find out what they were doing during the outburst. It is a document of the people who had changed the war and what they saw during the war. During the first battle in >the war in the United States, no matter how many times they bombed the undead they were still coming at them. Or near the end the U.N. decided to fight back to take back their home and had an all-out assault. When the soldiers are fighting to take back their home the civilians fight to survive. One group of people stayed at the rich person’s house shooting any undead who got close to the house. This is a very good book and I do recommend it. The only problem with the book is the person’s story is very interesting and you wonder what’s going to happen next and then it ends. It sometimes ends in the middle of the person’s story so that’s the only problem with the book.

The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender

Ruth Minsky Sender's book, “The Cage”, is a non fiction book. If you have read “Night and Forgotten Fire” you will enjoy reading “The Cage”. The story starts by introducing the present day of a woman who survived the holocaust and lived to tell about it. Later the story goes back to the year 1939 when Germany invades Poland. Riva, the main character, and her family need to survive this hated Nazi world. Riva had her mother taken away by the Nazis. Now, Riva has to take care of her younger brothers for survival. Later in the story Riva and her younger brothers get deported to Auschwitz and then to the work camps at Mittelstein and Grafenort. Riva and her younger brothers are separated when they arrived in Auschwitz. Riva has to survive alone knowing her younger brothers might not survive. Riva's determination and courage lets her survive in this harsh war. Riva learns the strength of the human spirit and learns a big important lesson her mother told her, "as long as there is life, there is hope". The story ends in the present day with Riva talking to her daughter and how she has become a better person.

Sergio C.

Tommorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

“Tomorrow, When the War Began” is a book about a group of teenagers who go camping and come back to find their country has been invaded by a mysterious country. All their family members are being held in the fair grounds. They return to their camp site where they plan what to do. This story is packed with action, adventure and drama. I liked this book a lot because of all the action plus it was a fast paced book. I think any high school student who wants to read a book with non stop adventure and action would enjoy this book.

Zach M.

Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes

Two farm boys, Spencer, an American teen and Dieter, a German teen, are eager to prove themselves on the battlegrounds of the War in Europe (WW2). You follow these boys as they go through basic training and finally their battles in Europe. As you follow their lives during this time you see a drastic change in their personalities.

Zak B.

The Dead of Night by John Marsden

I really enjoyed this book because it is a non stop thriller and it is easy to relate to the main characters who are in high school. I think every student would really enjoy this book because of the action from the first page to the last and also because of the story about the interactions between their group of friends during a crisis.

Zach M.

Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden

This book is a good book if you like adventure and action. It is easy to relate to this book because all the main characters are our ages. I liked it because it is always entertaining from front to back. I would highly recommend this book.

Zach M.

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

Fallen Angels is the story about Richie Perry who is a soldier in theVietnam War. The book starts with his first day in Vietnam and follows him throughout his experiences in the war. As the story starts to progress, Perry's view of the war and his own life start to change. I thought this was an excellent book because you are able to experience what a soldier had actually gone through in the Vietnam War.

Danny Q.

Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

Going after Cacciato was a good book. It contains a lot of description of places, weapons and how every day is during their hike to France from Vietnam. This book is also good because it shows how soldiers reacted to war; so many had dreams. The main character, Cacciate, had a dream. It was to go to France and enjoy his life without having to worry about war. This book is a very interesting novel which depicts desperation for living a life full of happiness and away from stressing things like war. I recommend this book to people who like war stories and suspense because you keep wondering what will happen next.

Kevin A.

Love My Rifle More than You

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in life stories of the U.S army. I liked this book because it was a true story and it was filled with action and fear. I really think others would enjoy this book because it's so relevant to what is going on in the world today. You actually get a feel for what is going on over in the Middle East. In the media today they really don't talk about the fighting and how the men and women over there are struggling. This book shows you how it really is.

Rachel C.

Number the stars by Lois Lowry

I think this is going to be a good book because it is a fiction book yet it talks about things that happen in real life. It has a lot of action and is about war and the Holocaust.

Richie G.

Number the stars by Lois Lowry

This book is about a family living in World War II. The solders change all their lives. The solders were closing stores and all the families have no food they can eat. This book is good to read because it talks about people’s lives.

Rey R.

Night by Elie Wiesel

I really liked reading Night. It had a terrifying suspense to it. I enjoyed it because Elie Wiesel, the author, wrote about his experience in concentration camps while the holocaust was going on. He wrote of how he lost his family and just his struggle to survive. I would recommend this book to any one who likes to read about the holocaust or genocides.

Joseph C.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

Ishmael Beah grew up in Sierra Leone, a country on the west coast of Africa. In 1993, at the age of twelve, Sierra Leone’s civil war reached Ishmael and destroyed his village, family, friends and his childhood. Young boys were the soldiers who fought the war. They were given food, shelter and drugs and no where else to turn since their families were dead and they would be as well if they were on their own. Ishmael was turned into one of these boy soldiers and he was one of the lucky few to get out alive. His story is a scary and awakening reality to the evils that exist in our world. Ishmael’s story is one that needs to be heard as he has to live with it for the rest of his life. In his own words, what I have learned from my experiences is that revenge is not good. I joined the army to avenge the deaths of my family and to survive but I’ve come to learn that if I am going to take revenge, in that process I will kill another person whose family will want revenge; then revenge and revenge and revenge will never come to an end . . .

This book is written as a memoir and has an extremely powerful message. It is very detailed and it is remarkable how clearly Ishmael is able to recall his life and experiences during the war. Everything is written chronologically along with relevant thoughts, emotions and flashbacks that put the reader in Ishmael’s shoes. I have nothing to critique the book about; it was extremely well written, powerful and very sincere. A long Way Gone is Ishmael’s only book and he wrote it because there were all kinds of stories told about the war that made it sound as if it was happening in a faraway and different land.

Jonathan

Jarhead by Anthony Swafford

Jarhead is about a guy named Anthony Swafford who joins the Marines. He tells you about his experience as a Marine in the first Iraqi war. Anthony Swafford is a very sharp sniper in the Marines but he never got to fire his weapon once. The Air Force won the day before the infantry got to do much of the fighting or killing in Iraq. Anthony Swafford did not get to fight in combat but he tried to kill and threaten one of his fellow soldiers. This nonfiction book is pretty good if you like to learn about wars and stuff like that. I would recommend this book to you.

Isaac